‘Mass confusion’: Wilmington works to place homeless park residents in temporary shelters as it moves forward with evicting them

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The city of Wilmington said Thursday that homeless residents of Christina Park must be gone by sunset Monday. Then, officials said they will erect a perimeter fence to block anyone from entering the site.

Wilmington officials issued eviction notices last month to park inhabitants about a month after requiring them to use city tents. The first tents were flimsy and failed during their first night in use after an overnight downpour, prompting the city to purchase sturdier replacements for residents.

When asked at a news conference whether park residents have been informed about the sunset deadline for leaving, Daniel Walker, Mayor John Carney’s deputy chief of staff, said they told the park’s site manager, the Friendship House, a local nonprofit.

Local housing advocate Meryem Dede, who heads the nonprofit TideShift Justice, said communications from the city have been changing day to day.

“The biggest thing is there’s just mass confusion in the park on what’s happening,” Dede said.

Carney’s office is highlighting the number of homeless park residents it says it is working to place in temporary housing or treatment programs.

Walker said out of 85 park residents, it has placed, or is trying to place, about 52 people in some kind of temporary housing or treatment program. City and Friendship House staff say park residents have been connected to beds at the New Castle Hope Center, a New Castle motel, as well as other shelters and treatment programs. A few people have also found permanent housing or plan to stay with family or friends.

Walker said that leaves 31 residents, with 12 of those interested in supportive services. But that still leaves 19 people who he said don’t want to leave the park.

Carney said they are trying to convince them to leave by the deadline.

“What we have to offer is better than a tent in Christina Park, and so getting people to make that choice, to take that step, is a big deal,” he said.

Those who fail to leave the park could face arrest. But Carney and other city officials would not spell out how they will get people who don’t want to leave to depart without the use of force.

Dede said the city has recently stepped up in trying to help park residents.

“There are a lot of beds being opened in the last two weeks, and there are a lot of people taking those,” she said. “I think almost everyone in the park really truly does want to take those spots, if it’s a real offer that will really help them, they want to take it.”

Wilmington Councilwoman Shane Darby credits City Council for pushing the Carney administration to help Christina Park residents. She sponsored a resolution calling for the mayor to delay the evictions and to establish a homelessness coordinator within the mayor’s office. Darby said that despite Carney ignoring both of those items, he is facing the pressure.

“I think that the resolution helped to bring and put pressure on Carney to publicly talk about this plan, to make it very clear and to make sure he’s moving forward on it, so I think it’s holding him accountable,” she said.

Carney repeated Thursday that the Christina Park site was always meant to be temporary and that he believes many of the city’s homeless people come from Philadelphia or southern Delaware.

On Thursday, Carney also updated the city’s progress on recommendations a task force issued last year to address the homeless crisis in Wilmington.

• The city has identified 600 E. Fourth St. as the location for a day center and dining hall and is requesting state funding.
• Personal items will be allowed to be stored at a city facility for those living at Christina Park during a 90-day pilot program as the city reviews long-term options.
• The mayor is evaluating the possibility of establishing a pallet village in the city, but questioned where the village could be located and the source of long-term funding.
• The city is continuing to invest in affordable housing projects.